Pre-season is on track - Scott

9 August 2012

rovers.co.uk

Rovers Ladies boss Scott Rogers is happy with how his side are shaping up ahead of the new Women’s Premier League Northern Division season.

Rovers made an impressive start to pre-season – beating Leeds City Vixens 6-2 and Curzon Ashton 7-0 in their opening friendlies – before winning the prestigious Preston Tournament without conceding a single goal.

Rogers said: “Due to two teams cancelling games on us and having to find other opposition at short notice, it has been a mixed pre-season, but we have had some steady games and won the Preston Tournament, which was extremely hard work because of the amount of football in one day.

“Looking at the squad, I think it is important that we have kept the majority of the squad together, which I am delighted about and with returning injured players almost back to full fitness, I am sure that we can hit the ground running in just over a week’s time.

“I have added two new faces and these will add further strength in depth to the squad.”

After being relegated from the National Division in 2011, Rovers had hoped to bounce straight back to the top flight at the first attempt, but ended last season in fourth place.

Rovers enjoyed a superb second half to the 2011-12 season, winning 13 of their last 18 games in all competitions and Rogers hopes his young charges can carry that momentum forward into the forthcoming campaign and mount a serious promotion challenge.

“This season is going to be tougher than last year and we as a group are well aware of that,” he added.

“But we intend to show everyone that our form from January was no fluke. I have a very talented bunch of players still and I constantly say this, but this is the time now where we need to start showing people that it’s more than just potential and we can perform consistently over a full season.

“We are very excited to get this campaign started. I am sure that with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, we can achieve the targets that we have set this season.”

Rovers face Sunderland in their final pre-season friendly this weekend, before getting their Northern Division campaign underway away to Wolves on Sunday August 19th.